Walking safari holidays in South Africa

A walking safari allows you to experience South African wildlife from close up | Credit: South Africa Tourism

South Africa is a great destination for keen walkers. Hundreds if not thousands of day trails have been marked out countrywide, many within easy reach of cities such as Cape Town or Durban. The country also supports a superb network of overnight hiking trails ranging from easy one-night excursions to more arduous five- or seven-night mountain treks.

The Garden Route is particularly well suited to walkers. It supports any number of coastal and montane day walks ranging from 5 km to 20 km in duration - none finer perhaps than the clifftop trail through Robberg Nature Reserve.

Hiking the Drakensberg | Credit: South African Tourism

South Africa’s ultimate walking destination is the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg, which offers opportunities for both casual ramblers and experienced and properly equipped hikers.

Guided multi-day wilderness trails operate in the Kruger National Park and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, but must be booked well in advance. Shorter unguided nature trails, typically up to 10km in duration, can be found in many minor reserves that lack dangerous wildlife. If you plan on walking a lot, bring suitable footwear and a few pairs of thick socks. A walking stick can be useful in more hilly areas or trails with loose rocks underfoot.

You might also like

The narina trogon in iSimangaliso Wetland Park
South Africa is a superb bird watching destination. The national checklist comprises around 840 species, and includes the world’s largest bird (ostrich) and what is reputedly its bulkiest flying species (kori bustard) along with a dazzling…

The most elusive of the Big Five; the leopard will drag its prey high up into the trees to escape scavengers
For many first time visitors to Africa, a top priority is ticking off the so-called Big Five: lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino. South Africa offers many excellent…

Certain camps and lodges offer guests professional photographic equipment for hire | Credit: Sabi Sands, Kruger National Park
South Africa is a highly photogenic country, especially in the summer months (November-April) when the air is least hazy and landscapes are at their greenest. The…